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Animation As Therapy For Mental Health Treatment Across Diverse Populations And Contexts, A Literature Review, Daneile Tabana

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Scientific research has explored and identified the beneficial relationship between health and creative expression, recognizing art therapy as a source of healing. Animation has been newly recognized as an art therapy medium with potential for therapeutic healing and increased psychological well-being. This review of the literature on animation therapy explores the history of the modality’s interaction with the population observed and the effects of animation on the cognitive processes, discusses current theoretical orientations and treatment options for treating a range of conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior with animation therapy, and considers culturally informed and client-centered practices alongside traditional …

Understanding University Support For Suicide Bereavement And Bereaved Experiences: A Phenomenological Study, Kristin May Anderson, Neishamia B. Kayizzi, Brittany M. Lee, Addalee K. Lyon

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, a multitude of literature have discussed the turbulent nature for young adults to navigate the difficulties of suicide bereavement with lack of support. This experience can be further cumbersome when the bereavement is co-occurring within an academic profession, such as attending university. This study explored three participants experience of suicide bereavement support at a university level, utilizing a phenomenological arts-based approach for inquiry. Data analysis revealed eight common themes that reflect the university students' lived experiences of the phenomenon discussed: Acknowledgment of the communicated loss by faculty, provision of academic support, lack/absence of practice, reluctance, emotional response, …

The Way Of Eldering: Spiritual Maturation Across The Lifespan, Kineret Yardena

Social Work Theses

Background and Objectives

People in midlife are often encumbered with uncertainty about how to transition toward later life without regret. Many sense the need to spiritually mature as they age, but lack practical guidance. Elders are those in later life who have made this transition and who have become sources of wisdom, nurturance and guidance for those younger than they. This phenomenological study explores the spiritual maturation journey of eldering.

Research Design and Methods

Ten people who were identified as elders took part in intuitive life story interviews. Using Story Method, this phenomenological study sought to identify key themes in …

Older Women’S Stories Of Covid-19 Loss: Communicated Narrative Sense-Making Through Photography, Anne Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The diverse array of challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic make it difficult to assess the full impact of this global health crisis. More than 300,000 older Americans died, leaving a nation of grieving survivors in their absence. This profound loss of life will undoubtedly inform the field’s understanding of grief and grieving for many years to come. Pre-pandemic, older women in the United States understood grief to be part of their life stage; COVID-19 amplified the grief experience through both cumulative losses and the isolation particular to the novel coronavirus response. However, few qualitative studies explore older women’s grief, …

Growing In Grief: A Meaning-Making Expressive Arts Therapy Method Developed For Bereaved Youth, Jessica Wilson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Approximately 5.3 million youth in the United States have experienced the death of a sibling or parent. They face challenges such as an increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance use, and other detrimental effects on adjustment. A small subset of this population experiences significant emotional and behavioral difficulties, characterized by an inability to function in major life roles, a preoccupation with the loss, and separation distress. Modern grief literature describes meaning-making as an adaptive coping process contributing to a sense of renewed hope and self-efficacy and a reduction in distressing grief symptomology. Expressive arts therapy is an effective way to …

Therapeutic Approaches To Working With Perinatal Loss Clients: A Grounded Theory Study, Heather H. Olivier

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Perinatal loss (i.e., miscarriage, stillbirth, termination, and infant death) is commonly referred to in the literature as an invisible loss, non-loss, and even medical event. It is an ambiguous loss exhibiting the dialectical contradiction between the physical absence and psychological presence of the baby accompanied by disenfranchised grief, a reaction to a loss that is unacknowledged by society. Despite the likelihood of mental health clinicians working with clients who have experienced perinatal loss, there has yet to be a therapeutic model designed specifically for the unique grief and trauma reactions presented in this population. Existing grief models do not address …

Continuing, Shauna Le Ann Smith

MSU Graduate Theses

Taking something whole, breaking it apart, and making it into another form of wholeness is the essence of both papermaking and grief. The papermaking process involves separation, maceration, and forming of new life; the grieving process involves a similar evolution. Creating this body of work has been a pursuit of continuation—a part of me forming new life. Using papermaking processes, I create work that is visually quiet. The details are only noticeable through sustained attention and close proximity. The quiet visual qualities are intended to create a viewing experience that is meditative and slow. The lack of details of the …

Maid (Medical Assistance In Dying) And Meaning: An Exploration Of The Experience And Ability To Make Meaning Through Involvement In A Maid-Specific Bereavement Group, The Synergistic Potential Of Covid-19 And Maid, And The Impact Of Healthcare Providers Relationships From The Perspective Of Relational Ethics On The Legacy Of Maid-Involved Families Into Their Bereavement, Allyson Van Kessel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

MAiD became legally accessible to Canadians with a grievous and irremediable illness in June of 2016. As I write in 2023, MAiD has been expanded to include patients who do not have a foreseeable death, with anticipated inclusion of those with mental illness as a sole underlying medical condition (MI-SUMC) in 2024. As MAiD now accounts for over 3% of all deaths annually in Canada, there is a growing impetus to explore ways by which MAiD practice can be improved and care can be extended to the family members following the death of a patient.

A hospital in southwestern Ontario …

Where I’M From: Internal Manifestations Among Cambodian Women Using The Expressive Arts A Literature Review, Noeun Chhim

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Chronic mental illness has affected many Cambodian people, but, culturally, Cambodians aren’t accustomed to opening up and discussing their feelings, rather defining mental illness to craziness and seeking help is presumed taboo. Thus, Cambodians are often reluctant to talk about their experiences and/or their related illnesses. Though Cambodians have experienced inconceivable suffering and violence during the Khmer Rouge era, for the purpose of this thesis, I will be discussing the role of Cambodian women and investigate the extent of what they’ve witnessed and experienced. Cambodian women have suffered through many years of trauma and grief, during and after the Khmer …

B-Sure (Bereavement Support Research): The Differential Experiences Of Peer And Professional Support In Grief, Andrea Crowley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

The project aimed to investigate the differential experiences of those who have received peer or professional support for grief and bereavement. Although much is known with regards to the perceived impacts of peer and professional support in general, there is little research surrounding these support types in the context of grief and bereavement, the potential for these support types to be complementary, and how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the experiences of those receiving these forms of support. The main goal of this project was to address a significant gap in the literature by investigating the following questions: …

Grief Experiences Of Counselors: A Photovoice Exploration And Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Paige S. Spangler

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is a lack of research on practicing counselors and how personal and painful experiences, such as grief, influence their identity. Grief can impact counselors’ wellness and result in emotional impairment. CACREP standards do not require training in grief counseling. Thus, there are vacancies in understanding the influence of grief and a lack of preparation in navigation and dialogue of grief in counselor education programs. This qualitative study explored the phenomenological experiences of how grief influences counselor identity. The methodology used in this study was photovoice with interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Photovoice allowed participants to describe their experiences through their …

Understanding The Role That The Internet And Social Media Plays In Suicide Survivor Bereavement, Catherine Merle Perusse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year more than 47,000 individuals die by suicide in the United States, leaving behind numerous family and friends who become suicide survivors. While there are prodigious amounts of research on suicidal behavior, little research has focused on what the surviving family members, friends, and community members need after the loss. Many suicide survivors use social media to address their grief and pain in a very public manner. A constructionist social theory of grief and existential phenomenology provided the framework for this qualitative study to examine the use of the Internet and social media as a forum for those grieving …

Understanding Grief In Adults Whose Sibling Died During Childhood: A Qualitative Study, Amanda Marie Mccarthy

MSU Graduate Theses

This retrospective, phenomenological study investigated how bereaved siblings believe the death of their brother impacted their development. Through semi-structured interviews, five adults whose brother died during their adolescence discussed how their grief changed over time and the factors that influenced changes in grief. Participants experienced periods of lack of acceptance, independence and isolation, and finding contentment. Factors that influenced changes in grief include sibling’s cause of death, family reaction, establishment of a support network, remembering the deceased, and milestones and dates. These findings provide a glimpse into how grief changes over time in the context of development. Furthermore, the results …

A Literature Review Exploring The Use Of Art Therapy For Children In Grief, Michele Whalen

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract

Working through grief is imperative for continued positive mental health, this is especially true in children and adolescents where the grief response is due to the death of a parent. Accordingly, this thesis is focused on the bereaved infant, child or adolescent when processing, coming to terms with, and internalizing the loss of the parent through the use of art therapy. Art therapy is a very effective form of therapy for the bereaved child, and that processing grief through the use of art therapy facilitates the child’s adaptation and resilience to this type of loss for better outcomes later …

Using Art As Therapy With Older Adults To Foster Connections And Establish Community Literature Review, Melissa Uva

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review advocates for the general needs of the growing aging population and focuses on how art as therapy programming can best support those needs. Arts programming, with an art therapy-inspired lens, can address the many needs of the older adult population and may promote meaningful connections between (1) the client and the art materials, (2) the client and self (both current and former), (3) the client and the facilitator/therapist, (4) the client and dyad or small groups and (5) the client and the community. The power of art therapy practices serves as the framework of this literature review, …

The Impact Of Perinatal Palliative Care Simulation On Undergraduate Nursing Students, Erin Anderson

Nursing (graduate) Student Scholarship

Background: Nurses who have limited exposure to perinatal palliative care often avoid interactions with patients, limiting the quality of care provided. Undergraduate nursing students are often not afforded opportunities for experiencing perinatal palliative care during direct patient care clinicals. Simulation may provide an opportunity for students to have these experiences.

Methods: A review of the literature was conducted resulting in six articles addressing the evidence-based education question, do undergraduate nursing students report feeling more prepared to provided perinatal palliative care to patient and families after receiving didactic instruction along with simulation-based learning experiences, compared with nursing students who receive …

A Needs Assessment For The Utilization Of Child Life Specialist Bereavement Support Services In An Emergency Veterinary Hospital Setting, Jared R. Negin-Fryers

MSU Graduate Theses

Studies indicate that there is an affective attachment bond, and related emotional involvement that exists between the companion animal and their human owners. Patient companion-animal death within the veterinary hospital, is a daily occurrence, with death rates per patient being significantly higher than in human health care. This comparatively higher death rate is due to the commonplace utilization of professionally sanctioned euthanasia to relieve animal pain and suffering. Companion animal death, may elicit grief reactions that are identical to what is experienced upon the death of a family member. A void currently exists in family centered veterinary care in terms …

Encountering Grief: Exploring The Value Of Art Therapy For Bereaved Adults, Paul Moynihan

Theses

This extended literature review explores the value of art therapy interventions for bereaved adults, with a particular emphasis on its application for individuals with histories of insecure attachment. A review of literature in the areas of bereavement and attachment considers how attachment insecurities present as a risk factor for complications in the grieving process with a subsequent focus on the implications for therapeutic intervention. A review of literature in art therapy, related areas of psychoanalysis and creativity aims to highlight the distinct value that art therapy could offer this particular subgroup of bereaved adults in adapting to grief. An incorporation …

Termination For Fetal Anomaly: What Is The Impact Of Genetic Counseling On Coping?, Cayleen Smith

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Pregnancy termination for fetal anomaly (TFA) is a unique experience that can cause women to develop long-term, complicated grief. Although a woman’s experience with her healthcare providers has been previously identified as an important factor in coping, studies have shown that many women report their healthcare as lacking to some extent. Given the overlap in patient needs and the practice scope of a genetic counselor (GC), this study aimed to examine how genetic counseling may impact coping as well as explore patient expectations of GCs pre- and post-TFA. An online survey, which included the Brief COPE and The Short Version …

Grief Moves: An Embodied Artistic Inquiry Into Losing And Finding The Self, Joanna Taubeneck

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

The purpose of this embodied artistic inquiry self-study was to investigate the role and felt-experience of grief during the process of professional identity loss. The use of this particular methodology offered the researcher an opportunity to use movement as the means towards both collecting and analyzing data so that the relationship between grief and identity transition could be sensed physically. Data was collected with a research consultant during six sessions of movement improvisations inspired by each of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ (1969) five stages of grief. The researcher and research consultant met six times as a result of their decision to include …

The Art Of Fortune-Taking, Allison Weintraub

Capstones

People suffering grief or emotional distress turn to many places for comfort, which can make them a target of psychic scam artists. Stigma about falling for scams might prevent victims from seeking help. https://medium.com/@allison.weintraub/the-art-of-fortune-taking-5cdedb6718d0

Experiences Of African American Mothers Following Infant Death, Katina W. Jones

Nursing Theses and Dissertations

African American women have been disproportionately affected by unfavorable birth outcomes for decades. Infant mortality rates for non-Hispanic African American women have been almost twice as high as that of Caucasian women for years. The goal of this study was to: (1) understand African American mothers’ experiences with infant death and (2) discover how African American mothers manage their grief following the loss of an infant. A review of the literature revealed African American women experience infant loss at a rate of 13.31 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to 5.63 for Caucasian women and 4.75-9.22 for other racial and …

A Dance Movement Therapy Warm Up Method In Bereavement Peer Support Groups For Children, Amanda Moffitt

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Every year in the United States, millions of children experience the death of a parent (Owens 2008; Stikkelbroek, Prinzie, de Graaf, ten Have, and Cuijpers 2012). Parental death in childhood can lead to severe impairments in physical and mental health, as well as overall life satisfaction, because of the potential traumatic nature of the event (Li, Vestergaard, Cnattingius, Gissler, Bech, Obel, & Olsen, 2014; Marks, Jun, & Song, 2007; Perkins & Harris 1990). Children have previously been neglected in regards to grief theory and the traumatic experience such loss impacts children. Recently, research has demonstrated that self-regulation is instrumental in …

Caring For The Bereaved Mother, Ivonne Rocio Guzman

Seton Hall University DNP Final Projects

Purpose: Caring for the bereaved mother can be a challenging undertaking for healthcare professionals who unless have suffered a similar loss, can find it difficult to relate with bereaved parents. The purpose of this DNP project is to research grief and bereavement to better understand the parental bereavement experience and to develop an education lesson for MBU nurses caring for bereaved patients. It is essential to provide nurses with insight into the bereavement experience of parents who have suffered the loss of a child, so they can provide support that validates the parents’ grief and helps facilitate spiritual, emotional, or …

Prevention Of Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family With Sensation Awareness Focused Training Intervention: A Randomized Controlled Trial Pilot Study, Paula L. Cairns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Post Intensive Care Syndrome-Family (PICS-F) refers to acute and chronic psychological effects of critical illness on family members of patients in intensive care units (ICU). Evidence about the increase and persistence of PICS-F warrants the need for prevention interventions. This study evaluated the feasibility of providing Sensation Awareness Focused Training (SĀF-T) during the ICU stay for spouses of mechanically ventilated patients. Methods: A randomized controlled trial of SĀF-T versus a control group was conducted (n=10) to assess safety, acceptability, feasibility, and effect size of the intervention on PICS-F symptoms. Symptoms assessed as outcome measures included stress, anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress …

The Predictability Of Facebook Memorial Page Participation On Grief, Colleen Grote

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As the world's largest social networking site, Facebook, continues to grow in popularity, it is imperative for counselors and counselor educators to better understand how online environments impact all facets of life, including death. Grief behaviors on Facebook have been a focus of scholars since the launch of the social networking site in 2004. Researchers have demonstrated that Facebook memorial pages have a significant impact on the social and cultural practices related to death and memorialization for Facebook users. However, despite a rapid rise in research related to online mourning, researchers have yet been able to establish the potential risk …

Encountering Disenfranchised Grief: A Pilot Investigation Of The Clinical Lived Experiences In Dance/Movement Therapy, Kate M. Dominguez

Creative Arts Therapies Theses

This study employed a transcendental phenomenological methodology to understand how clients’ lived experiences of disenfranchised grief are present within the clinical therapeutic relationship in dance/movement therapy. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews from four dance/movement therapists who have worked with clients experiencing disenfranchised grief. Moustakas’ (1994) adaptation of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of data analysis was used concurrently with data collection. Data analysis resulted in four textural themes: a) Disenfranchised grief can be described as disconnecting, overwhelming, complex, unrecognized, and pervasive; b) It is distinguished by exacerbated grief; c) It is recognized as a distinct form of grief; and d) …

Exploring The Concept Of Receptivity To Bereavement Support: Implications For Palliative Care Services In Rural, Regional And Remote Western Australia, Pippa Blackburn

Theses

Background: Palliative care services are primary organisations that provide bereavement support in Australia and aim to mitigate potential adverse outcomes of grief and bereavement The success of bereavement services depends, in part, on how ‘receptive’ the bereaved are to receiving support. Although palliative care services provide support services for bereaved carers and families, there still remains a discord between what is delivered, what is needed and factors that deter or encourage a person’s receptiveness to support.

Purpose: The aim of this research was to examine utilisation of bereavement support through the ‘lens’ of receptivity. Bereavement and receptivity are complex multifactorial …

Parental Grief: Traumatic Death Of A Child And Length Of Bereavement, Joy Dawn Buscaglia-Dale

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

There is much empirically based research and case studies in the area of grief itself but few that focus on traumatic grief. For the purpose of this study, we will focus on traumatic grief as it applies to the death of a child. Traumatic grief is defined as a grave form of bereavement that comes about when the death of a loved one is caused by an accident, an impaired driver, SIDS, homicide, suicide, or an act of terrorism. There is no time to say goodbye. The research that has been done indicates that with these types of death, the …

Adolescent Grief: The Nurse's Role In Promoting Healthy Coping Mechanisms And Preventing Future Hospitalizations, Erica C. Reighard

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Age and developmental stage directly influence the grieving individual's ability to understand and process death. Adolescents are especially vulnerable to developing negative coping skills such as substance abuse, self-destructive behaviors, and eating disorders. After a loss occurs, nurses can use their role as a caregiver who is neither a parent nor a peer to provide adolescents with an opportunity to express their grief. Nurses can educate grieving adolescents on the differences between positive and negative coping skills and can therefore reduce the number of future hospitalizations related to ineffective coping mechanisms.